1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a single-layer or multi-layer, fiber-reinforced flat product, optionally with a core of solid material, laminated of several layers which are processed to the end product in a sequence of working steps.
2. Description of the Related Art
Flat products of concrete or other hydraulically setting materials are known. For example, the document WO-98/28116 describes a method and a device for manufacturing a flat product with a fiber-reinforced concrete matrix. The manufacturing method which is used in this context, wherein a hydraulically setting material is applied as a matrix with admixed reinforcement fibers in uniform thickness onto a support, is characterized in that a grate structure made of wire is placed onto the layer, is pressed into it with defined force and depth with stabilization of the not yet set layer, wherein in this connection a predetermined compression is generated and, after uniform embedding of the fibers in the matrix layer as well as after their compaction and degassing, the wire mesh is again removed in order to allow the material to set. The working steps which follow one another in this context are carried out on a horizontal support which is supported on a plurality of support rollers for preventing downward bending.
EP-0 758 944 B1 discloses a method and a device for the continuous manufacture of fiber-reinforced shaped bodies of hydraulically binding materials. The method which is used in this connection is characterized in that a) the conveying means are supports which determine the desired optical appearance of the layers and onto which the flat arrangements of fibers are placed as a reinforcement, b) the reinforced layers with the supports are conveyed against one another and, by employing cylinder rollers with simultaneous injection of an additional material as an intermediate layer, are then conveyed through the gap formed between the cylinder rollers and, under controlled predetermined pressure, the reinforced layers and the supports are combined and connected to one another to a product shaped on both exterior surfaces and, in this way, are subjected to a thickness calibration, and c) the formed product, directly after passing the roller gap, is deflected into a removal direction by using the cylinder rollers and transported away with the supports adhering thereto.
Based on the aforementioned prior art, it is an object of the invention to further develop and improve the known methods and devices and to perform in this connection an uncomplicated production method in a compact production device in several planes positioned atop one another, which method produces exactly calibrated flat products with highest surface quality.
As a solution to this object it is proposed with the invention for a method of the aforementioned kind to carry out the entire sequence of working steps, such as forming a single-layer or multi-layer strand, shaping, cutting to length, individualizing, transporting, stacking, removing from the mold, while the material is in an edgewise position.
One embodiment of the method proposes that the layers of the multi-layer flat product are first combined, while horizontally transported as well as subjected to the effect of shaking energy, to a single-layer or multi-layer laminate and these laminates, after deflection to a vertical transport with continued shaking and compaction, are laminated to the core(s), transported vertically at the same speed, to an endless basic material strand, and the latter, with continued transport movement, is introduced between vertically positioned or suspended intermediate mold spaces of provided support molds, secured after filling of each support mold at its head portion between clamping beams in a suspended position, separated from the strand, and the individualized flat products are then cut to length in the vertical position while suspended, allowed to solidify, and then supplied to a final storage facility.
As a result of production in the vertical direction, i.e., edgewise and with shaping working steps xe2x80x9cin a stackxe2x80x9d, a more uniform compaction on both sides is advantageously achieved with improved surfaces, exact calibration by means of intensive shaking as well as with extremely economic work expenditure upon passing of a calming zone between traction elements.
A further configuration of the invention proposes that the core which later becomes hard is manufacture of concrete or lightweight concrete or polyurethane (PU), styrofoam, and/or the like materials, that for the first sandwich layer a material such as nonwoven material, for the second sandwich layer a material such as reinforcement fiber arrangements, for example, fiberglass mats, and for the third sandwich layer a material, such as, for example, plastic or rubber foil, are used.
A special advantage of the method is that the production of the flat products is carried out in three planes A, B, C stacked atop one another and formed by working platforms, wherein the uppermost plane A provides the supply of core material, the center plane B is provided for forming the basic material strand, and the lowermost plane C provides the support mold supply and serves for performing the working steps such as final shaping, cutting to length, solidification storage, and stocking the finished flat products.
In a freely suspended area between the planes B and C, pre-profiling can be carried out in a calming zone. Subsequently, a layer configuration, calibrated with regard to thickness and freely suspended and thus easily deformable, together with laminated-in reinforcement/flat arrangements and short fibers, is pressed by support molds into a xe2x80x9cstackxe2x80x9d that is laterally forwardly moveable by means of pushed trailing support molds and, during pressing, is subjected to a final shaping and is then cut to length by a saw. The stack, which in this context is, for example, supported on rails or suspended therefrom, can be transported farther continuously by pushed trailing stack elements with final deformation of the flat products.
Along the transport path, clamping beams, resting from above on the support molds and preventing soiling of the upper edges of the support molds during cutting to length and, at the same time, securing the layer configuration and prevent it from slipping through, can be lifted off the support molds by the pushing action of the trailing support molds, for example, on a slantedly arranged ramp. Trimming can now be carried out by means of stationary saws on the projecting solidified upper ends of the elements, and, as a result of the suspension of the elements from the mold in the downward direction, also at this location by means of fixed saws without requiring removal of the elements from the stack.
In the case of sandwich constructions, for example, with embedded stiff material as a core, as well as with reinforcements, heating or other tubes, or lightweight additives in xe2x80x9csoftxe2x80x9d mortar material, the desired positioning remains intact by avoiding deflection in the case of vertical manufacture, and this results in the following advantages:
the support molds do not serve as a manufacturing support and can therefore be easily cleaned and reused after removal from the molds as a result of minimal soiling;
an intensive shaking and thus compaction as far as possible is carried out initially without support molds because they are required only in the subsequent working steps for the xe2x80x9cmolding compressionxe2x80x9d;
a downward bending of horizontally positioned molds is prevented;
the free suspension results in a slight pre-stress effect;
during vertical compression, in contrast to the horizontal molding processing, a reduced friction for profiling results;
removal from the mold in the vertical position causes less stress because, in contrast to the production in the horizontal position, no downward bending occurs;
sawing in the stack avoids unnecessary handling;
the assistance by gravity reduces the energy expenditure during handling;
a more dense stacking is possible because, in contrast to stacked molds, pressure build-up as well as bending loads are prevented or substantially reduced;
as a result of tight stacking with mutual heat development of the plates a faster solidification is achieved;
in the case of vertical stacking the transport and footprint area requirements are reduced;
for the vertical shaping devices, transporting devices, and storing devices, simpler support mold configurations are sufficient;
by being suspended under its own weight, the reinforcement of the elements remains free of folds;
the engagement of, for example, wire mesh or xe2x80x9cpushersxe2x80x9d for positioning and compaction is avoided so that also soiling and labor-intensive cleaning are eliminated;
the configuration of tongue and groove is simpler because of the continuous support during suspension in comparison to the horizontal arrangement, excess material can be more easily stripped off and removed;
as a result of optimal positioning of the reinforcement layers, for example, by means of deflection rollers on each supply side it is possible to save reinforcement;
because the elements in the support molds have no tendency to bend downwardly, comparatively greater element lengths and widths can be realized without problem.
Further advantageous embodiments of the method suggest that a uniform compaction of the basic material strand on both sides for an optimal surface quality and exact calibration is performed by intensive horizontal shaking of the layers combined for lamination and vertical shaking is carried out after their placement against an optionally hard core.
Moreover, the basic material strand, after compaction on both sides, is moved by means of belts in the downward direction, wherein it is subjected to a first calibration and, by applying a vacuum, is dehydrated as much as possible before the final calibration.
A device for manufacturing multi-layer flat products with a core of solid material, and, for example, a first sandwich layer of comparatively soft material, a second sandwich layer of reinforcement fiber arrangement, as well as a third external sandwich layer of foil-shaped mold material, in particular, for performing the method according to the invention, is characterized in that it has a production platform with three working planes A, B, C spaced apart from one another vertically.
A special configuration of the device in this connection suggests that the uppermost plane A for supplying core material in the form of a vertical stack of plates has means for the continuous transport in rows without spacing of vertically positioned plates of an endless strand into the working planes B or C positioned underneath, and that the conveying paths have shakers which at their ends are deflected adjacent to the strand into vertical conveying paths with shakers, adjoined by vertical conveying and calibration means in the form of endless circulating traction elements, which transport the strand for final shaping and individualization into the lowermost working plane C.
Further embodiments are provided according to the dependent claims.